With My Heart Wide Open

Chapter 68

Rene stood up from the table to go tell the detective that Sergio and Audrey would be able to speak to him whenever he was ready, leaving the couple alone for a moment. They both sat silently, there at the table mostly in silence. The only sound was their stressed breathing and the occasional sniffle that came form Audrey. Sergio held onto her hand, trying to bring her some comfort, but he too, was struggling to keep his emotions in check. The whole situation scared the shit out him and he was having a hard time comprehending that someone had been murdered right here, in his house. 

"This is so hard to believe. This is all my fault, Sergio. I should have never came here." Audrey whimpered, breaking the silence and rescuing Sergio from his own thoughts. 

"None of this is your fault, Audrey. It isn't your fault that he turned out to be bat shit crazy." He replied, moving closer to her and taking her into his arms. 

"He meant to kill one of us! How is that not my fault? I am the reason he was even in Madrid. Of course it is all my fault!" She shrieked, tears streaming down her face. 

"Stop it! It is not your fault! God dammit, Audrey!" Sergio shouted back. 

Audrey looked at Sergio, unable to respond before covering her face with her hands. 

"Look, baby...I didn't mean to shout at you...this has me freaked out too. I need you to understand though, that you did nothing to make Jake do this. Nothing. Do you understand me, Audrey? Nothing." Sergio said apologetically. 

Before Audrey was able to say anything, the detective entered the room and sat across from the two of them.

"Mr. Ramos...Ms. King...good morning. I am sorry to be meeting you both under these circumstances. I am Detective Hector Lema. We have finished looking at the surveillance footage, but I have a few questions for the two of you, if you don't mind." 

"Of course, detective." Sergio said, glancing at Audrey and squeezing her hand. 

She looked up at him and smiled weakly. Audrey knew that Sergio didn't mean to snap at her. He was clearly as distraught as she was and she wasn't helping the situation by blaming herself, in turn causing Sergio more stress. Even though she did feel like it was her fault that Jake was in Madrid, she knew deep down that she couldn't be blamed for him going off the deep end. 

"Is that okay with you, Ms. King?" Lema asked. 

"Yes." Audrey answered.

Lema nodded his head and opened up a small notebook. 

"Stefan and Rene said that Jake Bosler was your ex-fiance. Is that correct, Ms. King?"

"Yes, that is true. We were together for many years. We broke up a little over a year ago." 

"How was he during your time together? Was he abusive? Obsessive? Any signs of mental illness?"

"Ummm...well at first he was sweet and loving. As the years went on, he became very controlling, but he was never abusive. There were times when he had been drinking that he would become threatening, but he never laid a finger on me. Looking back I can say that he was emotionally abusive. Obsessive? Yes, he would obsess over lots of things. Mainly when he thought I did something that disrespected him...he would never let it go." Audrey explained, her voice beginning to crack. 

"He never laid a finger on you? Never pushed you around a little? Never hit you? Nothing?" Lema pushed.

"No, not when we were together. Recently, though...yes. He came to my apartment a couple weeks ago...and he..."

"Audrey, just show him the pictures...you don't need to relive it again and again." Sergio interrupted. 

Even though Audrey had objected, Sergio had begged Audrey allow him to take pictures in Colorado, of the damage that Jake had done. Right now, he was thankful that he had been so adamant about capturing the evidence.